Days Gone By
by Nixie-poo
Summary: A short story taking place after "A Seeker". Kara, free from the Realm of Darkness, works with Riku, King Mickey, and others to restore Sora, Donald, and Goofy to their usual selves. With the mysterious Organization XIII at large, and the Heartless acting out of control, there is much for her to do to reunite her friends.
1. Freedom

_A vast meadow stretched forth in all directions, split into fourths by crossing roads._

_The late hour was briefly interrupted by a radiant light coming to life at the roads' center point. Light cut through the darkness, forming into a corridor of light. None but three where present to witness the unusual disturbance. Speechless, the three cloaked figures watched as a slim figure emerged from the corridor. One of them took a step forward when her form fell to the ground with a thud, but the man dressed in red prevented him from moving forward._

_Tattered clothes and scrapes all over. The unconscious girl had been through a rough time, but they were relieved that she was still breathing fine. Once the corridor closed, a male figure dressed in a black cloak rushed to her side and knelt down. His strong arms pulled her up into a sitting position, but her head bobbed back. She wasn't waking up, not even when he shook her slightly._

_Another dressed in black approached, putting his hand on the other's shoulder reassuringly. But it wasn't enough to comfort the worried youth. He removed his hood, exposing his silvery locks. Aquamarine eyes scanned over the girl again. _

_"Come, Riku." The man with red belts obscuring his face called out to the teen. "We cannot take her."_

_"I can't just leave her," Riku shook his head, picking her up bridal-style. His eyes narrowed as he breathed in. The scent of darkness was strong around her. He refused to let it bother him too much. "That mansion of yours has enough rooms. We'll put her in one until she wakes up."_

_"Are you sure about this, Riku?" the shorter fellow inquired, worriedly looking up at the once fallen boy. "It's been months since she disappeared, right? The darkness could have taken her heart over."_

_"No, Your Majesty," he shook his head again. "I know Kara. She's a lot stronger than the darkness. You might not understand, but I know her better than anyone else. Please, DiZ. We need to take her back with us."_

_"Such bold words," DiZ chuckled. Initially there to investigate an unusual reading, it turned out to be more than he expected. Nonetheless, he agreed to it. One way or another, there was surely a reverse to the affects of whatever it was plaguing the girl. _

_His one visible eye, as golden as hers, DiZ trailed his gaze over the land. In time, he'd figure out her standing on the path, too. Perhaps it was worth it to bring her back to Twilight Town. There was still an experiment he desired to try out. This girl could help him._

_The mansion's interior was cold when they arrived, and it was thanks to the lack of a proper heating system. As it had been for a long time, the decor was in ruins, mostly. Riku let DiZ lead the way in locating a suitable room, when a girl in a pale white dress met them at the top of the eastern staircase. _

_"Oh, it's you, Namine," Riku said in a surprised tone. "Is Sora doing okay?"_

_"Yes, but... I'm not making very much progress," the blonde-haired girl dropped her gaze to the floor, feeling discouraged. "It'll still be some time before he wakes up."_

_"Then continue," DiZ coldly replied._

_They went their separate ways. DiZ took Riku to a free room between his and Namine's. The size of it was remarkable, probably too much for just one person. Riku placed Kara's unconscious form on the comfortable mattress and covered her up with the freshly cleaned sheets. _

_He and the king were still by her side as she slept in a comatose state._

_"Don't worry, Riku," King Mickey assured him. "I don't know when, but I am sure that she'll wake up soon. Yup! I'm positive about it."_

_"Yeah, I agree," Riku mumbled._

_For the time being, they left her to rest and recover. They'd find out more about what happened to her when she woke up. And when she did awaken, they could get her help in the current matter causing them trouble. Two matters, actually. The most urgent being the care of Sora, who was also trapped in a deep sleep after having gone through the mysterious Castle Oblivion._


	2. Life Continues

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. This fanfiction follows the events of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days very closely and includes an original character owned by me. Please do not plagiarize the content found in this fic and use it for yourself!**

* * *

"Keep the hood on, child."

I was tugging at the hood of the cloak DiZ gave me. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to wear, and I hated having something like a hood on my head. But he insisted that I wore it at all times. Of course, he explained it to me over and over, saying something like:

"The situation will become much more complicated if Organization XIII catches on to our identities."

Reluctantly so, I listened and left the hood alone. The bad guys he told me about were fond of secretive operations, including exploiting DiZ's work. But, I didn't get why I had to wear this cloak while in the mansion. It was a stronghold, sort of- our base of operations. Surely it'd be safe to unwind for a moment.

I plopped down on a reclining chair in the mansion's dining hall. DiZ was sitting on the other side of the oak coffee table with an ice cream in his hand. It was his favorite ice cream, he told me before. Actually, I was quite fond of the salty and sweet mix. Sea-salt ice cream was a specialty of some store in town, and it was unique but ultimately contributed nothing to this meeting we were having.

"So..." I crossed my legs and looked around the dining area. Riku and Mickey were unexpectedly absent. It was supposed to be an important discussion, but I thought that meant we were all going to be here together.

"Mm," DiZ nodded his head. "Your friend, Riku, is investigating the Organization's trail in another world at the moment. And, the king has other matters to attend to."

"Got it." I tapped my fingers on the armrest and wondered if they were doing alright. My memory about it was a bit fuzzy, but a few weeks passed since I broke out of that deep sleep. The king and Riku were there to welcome me, but they've been out frequently since then. I barely got to see them. "Any idea on when they will get back?"

"No."

DiZ's reply was short and bitter.

I sighed and closed my eyes. The last thing I wanted to do was spend the entire month in my room. There had to be something I could do outside, like looking for clues on that group of villains he was researching. After hearing Riku's discussions about his adventures in a place called Castle Oblivion, I wanted to know more. Who were these people who targeted my friends?

The idea of me going out on my own was undoubtedly going to get shot down again. I tried multiple times already, but he was adamant in his judgement. And I couldn't exactly fight back or walk out on my own without being frozen in place by that girl staying upstairs. Her name was Namine. Only a couple of times have we crossed paths, so it was very rare for us to stop and have a chat. The door to her room was always closed, too.

"Let us begin our meeting," DiZ announced, tossing his popsicle stick into a trash bin.

_Finally!_ I mentally cheered and sat up to listen in.

"Now that you are in more decent shape, there are a few items of business that we need to go over," he said, and I nodded in response. "First is the recovering of your power. I am well aware of your history with the Keyblade and education in magic. Ah, and your companion who lies within your shadow."

"It's been a few days, but... I haven't been able to tap into anything," I told him. Feeling ashamed about my inability to do anything significant, I lowered my head and wove my fingers together. My thumbs twiddled as my thoughts ran blank. It was nothing I could explain.

"Theories can be tossed about in many ways," he said. "We will suppose that you have not made a full recovery. Once that time has come, I can rely on you. For now, I request that you look into regaining your abilities."

"Sure."

"Second," DiZ held up two fingers. "The first journey you and Sora embarked on together led to the defeat of Ansem, the seeker of darkness. Allegedly, the amount of Heartless was reduced. Worlds became safe. However, it appears that an unknown source has brought about more. They team again to plague many more worlds. We must find out why."

"The Heartless were targeting people's hearts and also the Keyholes. Ansem and others corrupted by darkness controlled them," I recalled. "Wouldn't be a surprise if they were up to it again."

"Indeed, but it is not just the Heartless that we must remain vigilant over," DiZ warned, leaning forward in his seat. "It seems that Organization XIII has been active in increasing their numbers after the loss _Nobodies_. That is what our new enemy is. Empty vessels coming from those who have lost their hearts. Only the stronger hearts become more human like those scoundrels. I fear that I do not possess enough data to undermine them. Our top priority is discovering their weakness to use it against them."

"That's why you need mine and Sora's power," I determined. It wasn't the wrong idea. He seemed to agree to it, though I was a bit reluctant to follow him blindly in facing these Nobodies. As for Sora, he was still in a state of sleep. He couldn't fight sleepwalking. Riku and King Mickey couldn't be the ones to face Organization XIII by themselves. It'd be like trying to hammer a nail with a spoon. Nothing would work out. At least, that was my thought.

"For the good of the worlds... and your friends... see to it that you do not fail in your efforts to regain all that has been lost," he said. "The Keyblades are key to resolving the fate brought on by the Organization."

"I-I'll do my best." I nodded a couple of times.

The meeting we had was brought to a close, and DiZ left to see Namine in the courtyard. I went out into the foyer and climbed the stairs to my room, where I could meditate on the load of information he just gave me.

Locking the door behind me, I stepped over to the bed and fell onto the cushiony mattress. _What a mess this turned out to be._

Getting lost in the Realm of Darkness really through me out of the loop. Sora and Riku were off on their own adventures, and many new things happened. All while I was away. Was Kairi doing okay? I was sure she returned home. School must have started up again by now. On the plus side, I wasn't really missing out. The stack of papers on the desk in the corner was all homework. Riku had some of his own, too.

DiZ promised he wouldn't let us fall behind in our schooling while we helped him. However he did it, I didn't want to know. It was just some side matter anyway. All I had to do was the homework and get back to what I needed to do.

First and foremost, I had to get all of my powers back. If there was one thing that I could do, it was call on Guardian for help. She was the only thing I could really rely on right now, but I couldn't do nothing myself. I needed the Keyblade and my magic back, too.

I flipped over onto my side and let my hood fall down. A thought crossed my mind about the loss.

"If I want to help my friends, then I need to do what I can to get everything back," I mumbled to myself. "Just one at a time, I guess."

_The Keyblade is going to be the most important one_, I thought.

_What did I do to get it the first time...? I think it was a dream. Yeah, that sounds about right. It was that weird place. Maybe I should try sleeping._


	3. What It Takes

The next few weeks spent at the mansion went by like a blur. Nights were short and dreamless, and the mornings were busy with monitoring Nobody and Heartless activity. Today was just about the same as yesterday. Rather than the usual patrolling through the woods and sitting with DiZ in the courtyard, he gave me the task of keeping an eye on Namine's work with Sora. I was a little nervous going down into the mansion's basement. It was so dark and creepy, and I was sure I'd end up getting lost in the underground corridors. But it meant getting to see how Sora, Donald, and Goofy were doing. The trip downstairs was worth it.

Taking the quick way through the foyer, I found myself in DiZ's secret computer room. Seeing the advanced computers all along the walls were so daunting. Somehow, he managed to use them all for something. I had little knowledge with such technology, except with basic computers from school. Those ones were relatively simple to use. This stuff, there was nothing basic or simple about it. I got a headache just looking at the numbers flashing on the monitors.

I sighed and sped up my pace going through another door in the basement corridor. Through the large chamber beyond it, I arrived at the pod room. The walls and floor were pure white, including the row of pods lined up on the left side of the narrow hall. Two of those small pods contained Donald and Goofy. I stopped by them first. King Mickey told me that the three of them were found together at Castle Oblivion. Their memories were being repaired, too, but the process for these two was not all that complicated compared to Sora.

"Don't worry, you'll be out of there real soon," I whispered, resting my hand on the outer shell of Donald's pod. Neither of them would have heard me, but it gave me comfort talking to them. Whether they were asleep or not. At the end of the hall, I input a password into the security system for the next door to get into the chamber holding Sora's pod. My eyes were squinting because of how bright it was. The heels of my boots clicked along until I stopped beside the blonde-haired girl watching over Sora. "Namine."

The girl jumped slightly and turned around to see me. She wore a nervous frown but smiled when she realized it was just me. "There's not much to say right now," Namine spoke up. I could detect the sadness in her voice. "I feel so defeated. It... It was because of me that he lost his memories. I should be able to put them back. I'm very sorry, Kara."

She apologized profusely, but I wasn't the most worried. Sora had always been a complicated person. It wasn't that he intentionally made himself to be that way, but life in general seemed to make it like that. He used to be so simple before the darkness came along. I almost miss those days. Why, if I could go back in time, I'd like to pay a visit to the past just to change that horrible piece of history. Wouldn't we all be happier that way? Maybe. Or maybe things would never really change.

I inhaled a deep breath and admired the crystalline pod. Barely, my eyes caught glimpse of Sora floating inside. His head was bowed, shoulders relaxed. He seemed comfortable sleeping in there. It made me a little bit jealous. In the back of my mind, I hoped that he wouldn't be in there for too much longer. There was so much we needed to do- to catch up on. The promise that we made needed to be kept, which could only count if he was awake to see his side through. At least he was safe in there.

"I'm sure that it'll be done very soon," I said quietly. Folding my arms across my chest, I turned my head to Namine and nodded. "You're working as fast as you can, I know. So don't apologize. Didn't you say that there was some kind of a disturbance keeping you from finishing any sooner?"

"R-Right..." she nodded her head. "Something _outside_ this world."

"Outside this world?" I tilted my head to the side out of confusion. What she said didn't make any sense. By that, did she mean that there was some kind of force jamming her powers over Sora's memories? Or, was it something that had to do with Organization XIII? "I don't understand."

"I'm afraid that I don't have an immediate answer," Namine explained. She clasped her hands under her chin and stared at the white flooring. "Is it his other half that's responsible? Or, is there someone else? If only I knew what to do. But, I'm needed here and can't go outside."

"Yeah, that is a problem," I said, rubbing the nape of my neck.

"Oh, Kara, have you gotten your powers back yet?" Namine asked, but I shook my head.

My own situation wasn't making any progress either, and it was becoming really problematic. I had an idea of what I could do, but the issue was getting to the point where I could actually do something. Or... something like that. It sounded a lot better when I thought about it the first time. Now I had to explain it to Namine. She might have an answer to my struggle, I hoped. She brought it up and asked me what I intend to do about my dilemma. But, there wasn't much information about my plans that I could give her.

"At first, I thought I could get my powers back if I dreamed," I admitted, closing my eyes. Saying it out loud made me feel embarrassed. It sounded so silly now that I heard it for myself. Namine didn't laugh, but she nodded in understanding. I paused for a moment and remembered the first time I held the Keyblade in my hands. "Back then, when my home was being attacked by the Heartless. It suddenly came to me when I was about to fall to the darkness. I want to make that happen again. Er, without the being thrown into a dangerous situation part."

"A dream..." Namine's voice trailed off. "A place where you can interact with your own heart. The king called it something. I believe that he referred to it as the Dive to the Heart. That is where you want to go?"

"Yeah!" I exclaimed. "Have any idea on how to get there?"

Namine thought about it for a moment, closing her eyes and humming a brief tune. When she opened her eyes again, she invited me to ask my own heart. _"It would know the answer to that"_, were her words. It sounded like a long shot, but I considered it. Placing a hand over my heart, I wondered if it really could take me to that place. I needed to find out; I had to take the chance to inquire with my own heart. Yes, it had to know.

Later that night, Riku returned to the mansion for a break from searching the worlds. We didn't talk all that much with each other. It wasn't that we didn't have time to spend together. He was exhausted and wanted to rest, and I was on a mission to have a _dream_. There would be plenty of time tomorrow to talk. I returned to my bedroom after having a bite to eat. Too tired to change into my pajamas, I plopped onto the bed and closed my eyes. _Ask my heart. Ask my heart, it knows the answer..._


	4. Inside the Dive

_"In the darkest part of the heart, untold mysteries lie. Untold truths. Wander... and discover."_

A faint whisper slithered into my ears. I opened my eyes expecting to see the usual view of the ceiling, but I caught glimpse of an empty void instead. Dim rays of light were shining down from a window above washed over my as I sunk deeper into the depths of the mysterious darkness. I felt so tired and weak. Neither arm nor leg would move to turn me upright. So I continued to fall slowly, until my body moved on its own command.

My feet touched down on solid ground, which turned out to be a glowing platform. Stained glass designs decorated it with a rainbow of colors, the reflective floor seemed to move as water when I walked around. I blinked in surprise when I saw an image of myself on the platform. It all left me unable to express the wonder running through my mind by words. The heavy atmosphere choked me; I couldn't speak a single word. Yet, it felt like nothing more than a trivial matter. This mysterious place was peculiar.

Suddenly, as I was admiring the scenic platform, my eyes discovered a silver-framed mirror some feet ahead of me. Its face was to me, showing to me my every movement and expression. I approached the mysterious mirror and examined it without fear of getting caught up in some sort of trap. Never before had I been so interested in seeing my own reflection. Tilting my head from side to side, I watched with fascination as the _me_ on the other side mimicked.

'Huh?' I mouthed. My reflection raised its hand and pressed it to the cold glass. Both of my arms were at my sides, not doing what it just did. Another being disguised as myself? It seemed plausible, but I was unsure. It didn't seem like the hostile type. A shred of fear slipped into my heart as dark vines wrapped around my reflection, and a thick mist of darkness obscured my view of the mirrored world.

The darkness soon subsided but not to return my mirror image to its usual self. It was distorted- transformed into an entirely different creature. I gasped at the sight of a claw pressing firmly against the mirror. Golden orbs staring right at me. A body as black as the night sky. At first glance, I assumed it to be Guardian. She looked like she wanted out of there. But, then my eyes trailed down to the hole in the shadowy being's chest. It was shaped like a heart. Blue, crystalline veins spread from that point. 'A Heartless?'

I blinked again and looked closer into the mirror image. 'Guardian? Is that you?'

_"Denizen of darkness, dweller of the shadow. Drawn to your heart, it obeys. If its aid is what you desire, call upon the powers of darkness. Your guardian will submit."_

'Call upon... the darkness?' I grimaced and curled my fingers. Surely the voice speaking to me was instructing me to open myself to the darkness. That was what it sounded like to me. But, if I were to do that, then it would end up like before. I'd be possessed with no free will of my own. The darkness would have complete control over me. Unless... I took control of it. Was that what it wanted me to do right now? Control the darkness in _my_ heart? Not necessarily open myself to it, not to become a victim again. 'Do I even remember how?'

Guardian was always there for me, I remembered. The fuzzy fragments of memories came to life in my mind, reminding me of all the times I could trust in my companion. Looking back to the personage standing opposite of me, I wondered how I could just take all that back. If I was to trust anyone, then I should trust in my own shadow. No matter what shape or form it took, it still belonged to me.

**_"Come to me, Guardian."_**

Breaking through the silence was a commanding voice- my voice. And here I thought that it was gone from me. It echoed and made the glass of the mirror ripple. The phenomenon was strange and felt weird against my hand, but that was the least of my worries. I hadn't the time to react to the claws emerging from the other side of the mirror. They latched onto my wrist; I couldn't pull myself free.

Guardian, decorated with crystalline veins like those I had seen around the Realm of Darkness, manifested fully in front of me and still held tight to my arm. She let out a hiss before the darkness making up her body seeped into my skin. I wanted to scream but couldn't. And, then, dark veins winded around my entire body. It covered me from head to toe, painting me black as ink. There was nothing I could do to stop it, only wait. Opening an eye, with some effort, I witnessed the darkness being absorbed through every pore.

I could breathe again after it went away, but it made me nervous to see aura rising around me. My heart rapidly beat inside my chest but slowed when a comforting hand rested on my shoulder. It was Guardian's touch. Relaxing my shoulders, I straightened my composure and smiled back at my shadow. 'Glad to have you back.'

_"Your heart speaks loud..."_

The voice spoke slightly above a whisper. I looked around as a single orb of light drifted down from above. It circled around me, coming to a step a few meters away from where I stood. A wide ray of light fell down from the orb, and something materialized within it. My eyes widened in shock. It was a Keyblade. No way could I forget where I had seen it. Back then, in the Realm of Darkness. It's still a bit fuzzy, but I remember seeing _her_ with it. That person who told me about her past when we were at the Dark Margin, that beach marking the final point of the dark realm. Yes, this was the one. 'I remember.'

_"Why do you seek this power?"_

'Why?' I wondered. The answer was there all along. I didn't need to think about it for a second longer. 'The reason is... I want to be there for my friends. To be their guardian. I know the darkness, and I have used the darkness. But I want light.'

_"You seek the light, as does this Keyblade."_

I pursed my lips and approached the golden Keyblade. My fingers were shaking as I reached for it. Anxiety pulsed through me, for I expected it to disappear in an instant before I could even hold it. But it stayed. My fingers wrapped around the hilt and plucked it from the warm ray of light. It was perfect. Perfect to hold and wield. So this was the Light Seeker.

_"The universe is vast. To defend those you love, you must learn to control this power. The twilight road to nightfall... A path riddled with darkness. Can you do it?"_

_**"Yes, I can,"**_ I said boldly. _**"With Guardian, my friends, and the Keyblade."**_


	5. I Will Fight, Too

_"Ever thought about writing in a journal? When I need time to myself, I always like to remember the adventures I've been on."_

Three days ago, I had a peculiar dream that took me to a mysterious place found in the depths of my own heart. It took only three days for me to notice the changes happening with myself. Or, rather, it was more like a restoration within me. The king, when he came to visit me, suggested that I write in a journal. I had one last year, but the sequence of unfortunate events that took place led to me losing it. A new one didn't sound like a bad idea.

I was sitting in my room during the early morning. DiZ was most likely down in the basement checking in on Sora's condition. And Namine was also in her room. She did a lot of sketches, so I recently learned. Neither of them were told about my dream. Although I was sure they'd both be pleased to hear about it and what happened when I woke up, I didn't want to share anything about it just yet. I wanted Riku to know first. He was still gone. But, a letter sent from wherever he was informed me that he'd be back later in the evening.

_Why not start a new journal?_ I wondered, falling back in the chair at the desk. Sitting on the oak surface was a small green book. The pages were blank and waiting for someone to fill them in. "Could be fun."

It took a lot of thought, but something did come to mind about what to write.

* * *

**_Kara's Report I_**

_The sounds of water splashing on the shore. A bird made out of fire. Heartless. A smiling face._

_Those are the things I remember from my time in the Realm of Darkness. Because time doesn't work the same there as it does in the Realm of Light, I had plenty of time to consider them. Like... a second here is a lifetime there. I want to say that it was a nightmare being in that place, but it really is a good reminder for me. That there are those I need to fight for._

_I'm so glad that I met... whoever that was... at the shore. She was the person who saved me from falling any deeper into the Realm of Darkness, I'm sure of it. Her name escapes me, but I can't forget her face. So warm and kind, like a big sister. __To think that I'd meet another Keyblade Wielder. And of all the places, too. Her story was sad, but I learned something from it. That lesson is one that will always stay in my heart. I hope she made it out of there, too- that person who I find so familiar._

_Riku and the king were there to welcome me back, even though I was asleep the whole time. A man named DiZ was also there. He's like a father to me and Riku. It's great to be back with my friends. Apparently, they went through a lot since I was gone. Castle Oblivion. I wonder what it's like. And this new threat that came up... I worry that it's going to cause a whole lot of problems for us._

_Sora, Donald, and Goofy are all asleep in pods to regain their memories. So, we can't get their help in this new fight for a while. But now that I can actually do something after all these weeks of not having any powers, I will fight in their place._

_Organization XIII._

_I want to stop them._

* * *

"Rough, but it works." I closed my journal and nodded in approval. It wasn't my best piece of work, but it was all I had. At least it was sincere. King Mickey was right about writing in one of these. I had fun with recalling past memories. Now I could look back in the future. That meant I had to be dedicated with it, though. Easy enough.

"What works?"

"Kya!" I squeaked and jumped out of the chair. Riku's sudden arrival was startling, a little more than it should have been. After stumbling over a fold in the rug, I regained my composure. He was standing by the door with his arms folded and a smirk on his face. Clearing my throat, I huffed and coolly leaned against the wall. "Riku. What a surprise... You're here early. Did something happen?"

"Heh," he chuckled. I really hoped he didn't see all that. Sure, he heard it, but... _Please, save me the embarrassment._ "Just had the feeling that I should come back for a bit. Glad I did."

"D-Don't speak of this," I groaned.

"Anyway, what're you doing?" Riku asked.

"Writing in a journal," I explained. "The king gave me the idea."

"King Mickey was here?" Riku stood straight, but he shook his head a second later and relaxed. Did he need to talk to the king about something important? "Never mind that. I guess what I want to ask is... How are you coming along? Any word on your powers?"

I smiled a small smile and extended my hand forward with my palm facing Riku. Curling my fingers, I beckoned for the Keyblade to manifest in my hand, which it did. The golden blade sparkled brilliantly. And Riku, prompted to the corner of his blindfold at the sound of its summoning, gasped in surprise when he saw it in my grasp. He mumbled something under his breath and smiled sincerely.

For the second time, I was able to bring it out without any issues. The Keyblade was not going to leave me this time. I could feel it in my heart that it was here to stay, and so was Guardian. The both of them were for me to command. But now I was eager to go out and take advantage of it. Heartless were plentiful nowadays, after all.

"Does DiZ know?" Riku asked me as we headed out into the hall.

"No, but he'll find out eventually," I said, shrugging my shoulders. Announcing it to everyone in the mansion was a bit of a chore considering how busy they have been lately. The time will come for them to learn of the situation. It wasn't necessary right now, and it was something more personal for myself. Beside that, we needed to focus on the Organization's movements. "So, what of the Nobodies and Heartless?"

"Up to no good," he laughed softly. "Heartless are all over town. I didn't move in right away. Two of the Organization's members showed up to fight them."

It was the same kind of activity that was going on in a bunch of other worlds, according to Riku. One or two members of the Organization were being sent out to handle the Heartless. Strangely, one of them had a Keyblade. This Nobody was suspected to have a deep connection with Sora. If they really had ties and even resembled each other, then I wanted to confirm it for myself.

I sighed and admired the courtyard outside the window. Riku stopped and stood by as I sunk into my thoughts. "Riku... do you think we'll really be able to wake Sora up? I mean, if we're just monitoring the Organization."

"If we keep at it and don't give up," Riku nodded. "They were responsible for him losing his memories in Castle Oblivion. So, they have to have answers to more of our questions. Something needs to be done. Just leave it to-"

"No!" I frowned, planting my finger on his lips to keep him from finishing that sentence. "No one is going out there alone. Saving Sora isn't just your responsibility."

"I-I..." Riku stuttered.

_Right, I have to be in this fully if I want to see us back together_, I thought to myself. To do that, I needed to jump in and monitor the Organization more personally. Riku sighed in defeat and slowly nodded his head. I smiled and turned to Riku. "Wanna teach me how to open one of those corridors or what?"


	6. The Boy Who is Just Like Him

Heartless were running out of control throughout Twilight Town. The world's residents did well to evacuate themselves to the safety of their homes, but it was only a matter of time before the Heartless broke in and caused more mayhem. Due to there being no immediate alarms regarding Organization XIII's activity, I elected myself to stay behind and handle the situation in town while Riku went out scouting.

I thought it was just going to be a simple job eliminating some Shadows. The easy part was taking down the smaller Heartless around the shopping district. But, the mission in town got hairy when a variant of the Wyvern Heartless appeared. It weaved through the buildings, avoiding direct contact. Catching up to it was turning out to be very problematic, especially when Guardian could fly only so fast.

"Hiyah!" I grunted, swinging the Light Seeker upward at the rogue Heartless. My attack only grazed the tip of its tail. The Tailbunker, so the variant was called, got away and fled beyond the market street and toward the immobile tram. "Oh, boy..."

Powered by Guardian, I soared to the top of a building overlooking town and searched for the Tailbunker. And there it was, drifting along through the air in search of its prey- unsuspecting hearts. No way would I let anyone get hurt.

Jumping to the next buildings, I followed its slowed pace to a narrow alley. It stopped at that point, giving me the opportunity to drop down and defeat it. That was the plan, anyway, but the unforeseen came up again. But what could I do about it this time? DiZ never gave me any instructions on what to do about anyone dressed in one of these black coats. Better yet, he said nothing about Organization XIII.

I knelt down and watched from above as this mysterious individual approached the Heartless. He was very capable with dodging its attacks. Then, it came time for him to go on the offensive side. I was surprised to see this mysterious individual summon a Keyblade. To be exact, it was the Kingdom Key.

_But how? What happened?_

Whoever he was, he was doing a favor with defeating the Heartless. He got a little roughed up here and there, but he was defending well for the most part. That was until the Tailbunker knocked him down with its iron tail. I winced when he hit the wall. It had to have hurt pretty bad. As for the flying Heartless, it was homing in on the injured Organization member. _Should I go down and help?_ The debate ran circles in my head.

All I knew was that Organization XIII was the enemy, and that made this person an enemy, too. But if he was left to be fodder for that monster, then where would our investigation go? And, he had the Keyblade. That surely meant something important. It'd certainly be one more problem out of the way, but...

"I might regret this." I muttered the words under my breath and jumped down from the rooftop. Moments before the Heartless could attack the downed black coat again, I cut through it with the Light Seeker. The Heartless wailed and faded into darkness. That ended the immediate threat in town, but it opened the door to the next.

Tugging down on my hood, I withdrew the Keyblade and stood over the cloaked man- no, it was a boy my age. He sat up and let his hood fall to his shoulders. Spiked blonde hair and bright blue eyes reminiscent of the blue sky. I gasped softly and took in his familiar appearance.

"Just like _him_."

"H-Huh?" The blonde-haired boy shook his head and looked up at me with wide eyes. Confusion was written all over his face, but he smiled. "Thanks for the help. I, uh, thought I was supposed to be working alone this time."

"Alone?" I raised a brow and held my hand out to him. He gladly took it and jumped back to his feet, clearly recovered from the minor injuries he sustained. _If it means avoiding unneeded confrontations, I might as well play along._ "You don't seem like the type to be out here all alone."

"Yeah," he dropped his head. "Saix said that I should be ready to go out by myself now. And the boss said it'd be a great opportunity to get stronger."

Saix? Now there was a name to remember. If he was the one sending this kid out on missions, then he must have deep roots within the Organization. Saix and this _boss_. Right now, they seemed to be the more important figures. The problem was figuring out how to get close to them. This kid seemed to know them pretty well.

_Can I fool him into spilling the beans?_ I wondered. _No, that can't be possible. I doubt he'd be naive enough to fall for any tricks._

Perhaps the best course of action was to just go with the flow until a better lead came up. Moving a little bit at a time was definitely better than rushing in recklessly and potentially ruining all our chances at helping Sora. Right. I had to be careful and watch out for any slips. For my friends' sake.

"Oh... I'm sorry," the Organization boy apologized unexpectedly. He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head in a similar manner to how Sora always did when he did something silly. I blinked in surprise. Even their expressions matched. It was so peculiar, like they were twin brothers. "I can't seem to remember seeing you around the castle. Who are you?"

We never did introduce ourselves to each other. But, I was reluctant to just give him my name. He could throw me under the bus to this boss of his. On the other hand, however, maybe it would allow me to get a lot closer to _him_. Playing the part of a double agent was not exactly something I've done before, but it might be just what we need to get things moving in the right direction. The risk was so very high. Although that was the case, the reward would most surely be all the more sweeter.

Pulling my hood down to my shoulders, I revealed my face to him and smiled kindly. No, we have not met- that was what I wanted to tell him first. And we didn't. It felt like we did, oddly. I couldn't explain it. Something about him made me feel comfortable about this decision.

"Call me Kara," I said, extending my hand out to him. He took it, and we shook hands in greeting. It was surprising that he was so welcoming. "Let's just say that I'm... a friend."

"Kara, huh?" he smiled back. "Weird, no 'X'. I'm glad we can be friends, though."

"'X' or no 'X'. A letter doesn't stand in the way of friendship, right?" I winked, and he chuckled.

"That's true. Well, then you can call me Roxas, the Organization's number 13," he introduced himself to me. "Ah! Now that the Heartless was taken care of, we can head back to the castle. Come on, we'd better head back before Saix comes looking for us."

I clenched my jaw when he pulled me along through the town. No words of protest made it to his ears as he rambled on and on about how his mission had been going on. Here and there, he mentioned the strict instruction he had gotten. One such piece being to not stay in a world for too long.

_Is this a good thing or a bad thing?_ He was taking me straight to the Organization's base. On my own, I could slip in and do all the investigating I wanted. That was also the problem. Running into the leader or that Saix guy would get me into serious trouble. There was no telling how strong they were exactly. I'd be in way over my head.

At the station plaza, I saw a corridor of darkness sitting open beside the entrance to the train station. It was hidden well within the shadows, but my eyes quickly detected the dark aura flowing from the portal. So that was what Roxas traveled through to get here, and it led to this castle he was based at. Riku taught me all about dark corridors, but I wasn't yet at the level where I could skillfully use them at will. I'd have a lot of trouble getting back if it were to close behind us.

I slowed to a stop when he let go of my hand. Thank goodness he did. "Hey, Roxas...?"

"Yeah?" Roxas stopped and turned around. His hand was reaching for the corridor, but he retracted it. "Is something wrong?"

"You see, I'm still on a very important mission," I half-lied. "If I go back now, then I'd probably get in a lot of trouble. Saix might get upset if he found out about me slacking off and talking to you. Could you do me a favor and keep our meeting a secret from the others?"

"That so?" he blinked a few times and took a moment to think about it. He _really_ thought about it, too, folding his arms and humming to himself. For a second, I was worried that he'd figure me out. Instead of giving me a hard time, Roxas grinned happily and nodded twice. "I get what you mean! Your mission must be really important. Don't worry, Kara, your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks, Roxas," I grinned brightly. "There's still a lot I have to do in this world, but I hope we run into each other again."

"I know we will," he said sternly. "It's a promise."

With that, Roxas departed for the world on the other side of that corridor of darkness. It closed in an instant, taking with it the malicious dark air. I waited for a moment, then concealed my face beneath the cover of my hood. The dangerous risk was taken, but Roxas was blissfully unaware of my intentions. My heart sunk for tricking him, but it was necessary. If it meant saving those I cared about, then I wouldn't stop now. And I was in too deep to go back on everything.

Turning on my heels, I made my way back for the mansion. It was time to report my findings to DiZ and Riku. I wanted to keep the part about my undercover mission, but it'd be best to let someone on the outside in on it. Probably just Riku, though, and the king if we ever did meet again.


	7. A Little Connect

_"Are you insane?!"_

_Riku's voice boomed and bounced of each wall found in the old mansion. A hint of anger and fear were clearly present in his tone, and his actions. The dining table suffered from too much pressure beneath the palms of his hands. Power emitted from Riku's hands caused for the hard wood to snap. It was crushed, split in two. What remained of the two halves collapsed to the ground in heaps._

_The tension in his shoulders subsided somewhat. Sitting back down on the dining chair, Riku sighed and rested his head in his hands. His silver hair fell over his blindfolded face. Kara was sitting across from him, stunned that he broke an oak table with his bare hands, but also concerned that she had done something wrong to worry him._

_Insane might have been an understatement, she thought. Kara knew that he'd react in some sort of way to the news of her encounter with the boy named Roxas. The way he felt about it now, she didn't blame him. However, no matter what he did or said, the choice she made was final. But rather than arguing about it, she sat and listened to her friend's expression of concern and frustration._

_"Do you know what you're getting yourself into?" Riku asked her, looking up from his gloved hands. "Organization XIII is bad news. You could get hurt if you aren't careful."_

_"I'm well aware..." Kara replied gently. _

_"Then, why?" he questioned her seriously._

_Kara was silent for a moment. The right words to explain herself were running away from her. Leaning forward, the young Keyblade master pressed her lips to her clasped fingers. Her amber eyes were fixated on the debris at their feet as she considered what to tell Riku. _

_"Since we want to get to the bottom of their motives, I..." she paused a moment. "Pretending to be an ally seemed like a good idea at first. Roxas is the only one right now who I can get through to."_

_"But-"_

_"A double agent to infiltrate the Organization." DiZ entered the dining hall, surprising both Kara and Riku. Their elder stood at the door with his arms neatly tucked behind his back. A frown was upon his face, and his visible eye was searching the room for something they could not determine. To the ears of others, he seemed displeased. However, he smirked slightly and nodded his head. "Their true motives still lie in mystery."_

_"You can't be serious," Riku gritted his teeth."It's way too dangerous! Let me go."_

* * *

Roughly three weeks passed since my first meeting with Roxas. The last time he talked, he mentioned something about visiting other worlds to terminate the Heartless in them. Seeing him again in Twilight Town today was more of a chance meeting. His mission here happened to be the same given to me by DiZ.

Shadow globs, similar to the ones from back then- a corrupted Oogie Boogie enveloped in darkness. As Guardian and I flew over town, I spotted several of them popping up along the streets. Some were attached to the buildings and other high places. These globs were peculiar. Shadows were pouring out from them in teams of two and three. Other than that, they were actually harmless things. Well, unless we left them be. Chances were something bad would happen if they were left unchecked.

"Hey!"

"Hah?" I glanced down at the streets. There was Roxas, waving his arms around for me to spot him easily. "Right on time."

Jumping from the top of the building, I glided down to where he was and greeted him with a nod. The situation with the Heartless threat was self-explanatory, so we were able to get right to dealing with it. First was the Heartless in the area. I split away from Roxas and did my best to eliminate them all before moving onto the globs. The mission we cooperated on was a little tedious, but we managed.

Within the hour, all of them were gone and Twilight Town was safe yet again. But doing a fly by over the town once more didn't hurt. There was nothing else demanding our attention. So it was safe to assume that it was okay to relax. _Those globs, though. What made them appear like that?_

There was nothing I could do to figure it out now. Not yet, anyway. Something like that was just another matter to tell DiZ about, and he would get to the bottom of it if it was something significant. For now, I left the market street to go out and find him. His trail led to an alley, where I witnessed him defeat a group of Heartless.

"Yo, Roxas!" someone called out as I took one step out of the shadows. The unfamiliar voice startled me, and I jumped back behind the corner to conceal myself. Throwing up my hood to remain undetected, I silently wished that no one heard me. Peeking around the brick wall, I saw a tall man with crimson red hair approaching Roxas. He wore the Organization's black coat, but this man was awfully casual. I shivered, getting a bad vibe from him. "How's it hanging?"

"A-A..." Roxas froze.

"What's the matter?" the man asked him. "You like like you've seen a ghost."

"Axel...?" Finally speaking up, Roxas blinked once and let a tear fall from his face. He quickly wiped it a way. "But... I thought you were gone! Castle Oblivion- the whole team was annihilated..."

"Correction: the weaklings were annihilated," this _Axel_ guy raised a finger and grinned. "Not me!"

"You had me worried," Roxas shook his head.

Axel forced a chuckle, "What? Worried? Well, that's a neat trick, considering you haven't got a heart to feel with."

"W-Wait here!" Roxas stuttered, holding up his hands. "I'll go buy us some ice cream!"

He was in a rush to buy ice cream for himself and that peculiar man. Without a second thought, he ran off for the shop to buy what he needed, leaving Axel to stand there and watch. He seemed surprised in the slightest.

I pulled away and pressed my back to the wall. It was too dangerous to walk off now with him there. He'd probably catch me if I were to try and leave. Once he left, I'd go and-

"Lookin' for someone?"

Tension built up in my shoulders when someone whispered into my ear. Wide-eyed, I slowly turned my head to see Axel standing next to me with his arms folded. He was glaring coldly. To think that he could get so close without even being heard. For someone who acted relaxed, he had a sudden change, it appeared. I jumped away from his outstretching hand and clenched my fists. Light Seeker flashed into my hands as fiery chakrams manifested in his.

"Heh, running under a disguise?" he questioned me. "What's someone like you doin' spying on Roxas? And that thing... It's a Keyblade, right? Weird how you got your hands on it."

"Don't run your mouth," I coldly spat back. "None of that's your business anyway."

"I got a big box to share with... you?"

In the midst of our standoff, Roxas returned and witnessed the heated tension between us. I saw him standing there with a white box in his hands through the corner of my eye. Axel looked briefly and silently gritted his teeth.

"What's going on?" Roxas asked after a long moment of awkward silence.

"Roxas, who's the chump?" Axel, ignoring the confused boy's concerned words, glared at me again. He wasn't about to let his guard down.

"Oh... Uh, she's a friend," he answered. "She helped me during today's mission. Why are you guys fighting? Please, stop!"

The sheer innocence he displayed at that moment brought a certain light to the atmosphere around the alley. To think that it'd even have an affect on me, keeping me from swinging the Keyblade at Organization XIII's hothead. Even the man across from me dispelled his weapons. We were going to fight, but it seemed that today was not going to be the day for that.

How Roxas convinced me to join them later that evening, I didn't know. The two walked ahead to the train station with me close behind, and we went all the way up a flight of stairs to a high point on the clock tower. I had to admit, however, that the view of the town from the ledge we stood on was beautiful. Most stunning was the golden sunset. It was unique, rivaling only itself.

I leaned against the cold stone to the far left of the ledge, a good several feet between me and Roxas. Axel was on his other side, sitting on the ledge with him. It was strange how there was a sense of peace in spite of a pair of enemies being right there.

On occasion, I noticed a pair of emerald eyes staring back at me. It was an off and on feeling I got as I leaned back with my ice cream in hand. The salty and sweet taste was hardly enough to distract me from Axel's piercing gaze, though. He was even vocal about his displeasure, whispering rather loudly to Roxas, "You sure this is alright? I mean, we've never seen her around before. Saix never said anything about a new member."

Leave it to Roxas to come to my defense. He failed to keep his voice hushed enough for me not to hear, but I acted as if I hadn't been eavesdropping. Roxas openly expressed his trust in me. "If she was an enemy, then why would she be helping us? I don't know why, but I know we can rely on her. Trust me." It was enough said to keep Axel quiet. At least I could feel more at ease, but I refused to lower my guard around him.

After some time passed, ordinary conversation lightened the mood. If talking about missions was anything ordinary. I had nothing but my ears to contribute.

"Man, I gotta check in with the boss, or else he's gonna let me have it," Axel sighed and took a big chomp out of his ice cream.

"You haven't reported back yet?" Roxas tilted his head to the side.

"Nah..." the redhead shook his head.

"Then why'd you come here?" Roxas asked again.

"I guess I needed some time to sort out my feelings, you know?" Axel said.

Jokingly, Roxas teased Axel about not having the "heart" to actually feel. It was amusing to watch. They laughed like friends would, and I just watched them as they discussed another one of the Organization's members- a girl named Xion. _How funny. Roxas and Axel are just like those two... _I smiled softly.

But rather than stand there and bask in the moment of reminiscing, I turned to leave for the mansion through the lesser known way than the usual route in the tram common. There was a lot to think about and consider such as my next move for getting close to the Organization. In time, I'd get the results I needed. All I had to do was be patient and keep close to Roxas as much as I could. No doubt about it. He was the key to everything. I just knew that my gut wasn't lying to me.

* * *

_Change was occurring within Organization XIII, Axel could feel it in the void where his heart would have been. It had him lost in thought during the day, since the incident at Castle Oblivion and since meeting Roxas at Twilight Town. Heck, the worst of it happened during their usual ice cream hangout. That girl. Friend? He found it hard to believe. Although, there was something about her that reminded him of someone he knew rather well. Perhaps it was best to keep it to himself, for now._

_"Hm..." Axel breathed out quietly as he gazed out the window of his bedroom. His green eyes were fixated on the moon and its peculiar shape. So much was on his mind, he didn't even know how to reorganize them._

_The door opened and heavy steps entered through. No need to turn around to see, for he already knew who it was. He was expecting him to come by to visit. More likely than not, it was solely for official business than a simple visit. That was how it had been for a long time now. Axel got used to it after some self convincing._

_"Why didn't you report in?" a blue-haired man questioned Axel. Hearing his voice made Axel turn finally._

_"What?" he smirked. "Not even one little word of appreciation?"_

_"The only thing I've heard is that Namine has gone missing," the other man replied in a monotone voice. His amber eyes burned like flames. "Axel."_

_"There one minute, gone the next," Axel shrugged. "I don't know how she got out. Sorry, Saix."_

_It was akin to an interrogation. At least to some degree, he passed Saix's test. He seemed pleased about the news regarding the traitors. Axel was sure he'd be out of trouble now, until Saix stopped at the half-opened door. _

_Saix frowned deeply and took in a short breath, "Is there... any other information you would like to share? I'm certain you checked in on Roxas yesterday."_

_"No." Biting back his tongue, Axel regretted answering so quickly. The kid asked him specifically to keep his new friend in the shadows. It was suspicious. But while he could easily rat out the girl, he respected Roxas enough to do it for him. However, if the pest needed to be put down, then he was capable of it. "Look, just give me my punishment already. This is getting boring."_

_"Very well," Saix narrowed his eyes. "Hmph, consider it a slap on the wrist. Accompany him on his next mission."_

_"That's a slap on the wrist?" Axel raised a brow. Nothing more was said, nor was there anything that needed to be said between them. _

_"Could be worse."_


	8. A Goal In Sight

_For some months now, the investigation around Organization XIII got us only so far in our plans. Things have gradually begun to improve since I met Roxas, but I still only knew so much about the Nobodies. I've learned of them by name through talking with Roxas. The two of us have continued working together in various worlds to take out Heartless. _

_A really big obstacle? Getting around Axel. He nearly exposed me the other day if it weren't for Roxas interrupting. If only it wasn't so hard to get a hint of their plans._

_What do they intend on doing? __I need to find out._

_DiZ and Namine have been working very hard with a way to prevent the Organization from infiltrating the mansion. A barrier that surrounds the entire place. No outsider, including us, can get inside without using the Keyblade to undo the seal. It protects Sora, so I'm glad he decided to do something about the security. I feel better knowing my friend doesn't immediately need me around._

_As for Riku and I... we're hard at work with figuring out the Organization's true motives. He made contact with a girl named Xion, another Keyblade Wielder that uses the Kingdom Key. A friend of Roxas and Axel. Somehow, Riku was able to get some vital information off her concerning their headquarters. _

_Our mission together was to infiltrate their base of operations and get a closer look at Organization XIII. And, thanks to that information he gathered, we were able to get much closer to where we needed to be. Dangerous. Sure. However, the two of us together made it all that much better. We knew what we were doing, and it seemed like the Organization had no idea that we were even there. That was how it went for a time, at least. Until we discovered the whereabouts of a mysterious looking castle floating in the sky._

_Only a matter of time before they caught onto us. Those empty husks of Nobodies that did their bidding were quite the problem, so the chances of it happening were rather high. A quick get in and get out. That was the plan. Our report to DiZ took place some days after our long mission was over._

* * *

"They will not let us do as we please for much longer," DiZ said, resting his gloved hands in his lap. The three of us- DiZ, Riku, and myself- sat in the dining hall to discuss the findings we made in the Organization's world. "I am astonished the both of you were able to return... whole."

"The World That Never Was..." Riku muttered. "Fitting name."

"Well, it's not like we could get very far with all those Nobodies running around," I sighed.

"Indeed," DiZ nodded. Wetting his lips with a cup of tea, the older gentleman let out a breath and shook his head. "The mission continues... We must hurry before time runs out. To ensure that our efforts for your friend do not go to waste, we must take the boy and rid ourselves of the anomaly."

"You mean Roxas?" I leaned forward with interest in his words. "Him and Xion."

"Yes, that is correct." He was very short with his response. And cold. The three of them were all connected, but it was hard to explain Xion. Roxas was much closer, I thought. He and Sora shared so many similarities, and the way he wielded the Keyblade was so much like Sora.

_I don't want to betray his trust, even if we aren't exactly on the same side_. My eyes closed as I leaned back into the chair. To save a friend and make the odds more favorable against the enemy, doing it this way was most likely the best way. It might have been the only way.

DiZ stood up a moment later and approached the door, his hands clasped behind his back. Wrapping his fingers around the knob, he cracked it open but stopped abruptly to look to us. "Riku, do what you can to retrieve Roxas," he said. Turning to me, his eye single to one goal, DiZ smirked softly in his drawn out pause. "I want you to remain behind and monitor the Organization's movements around town. See to it that they do not interfere."

"Really? That old job?" I groaned a little.

He left without uttering another word. When I looked at Riku, he only shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. Monitoring was such a tedious thing to do. I felt better being right in there with the action, not observing from afar.

"DiZ trusts you, and I do, too," Riku said, resting his hand on my shoulder. Keeping my arms folded, I shot him an unsure eye and pursed my lips. "Watch over Sora for me. I'll be back with Roxas real soon."

"I wish I could go with you," I looked up at my best friend. "Isn't it hard to do anything with that blindfold?"

"At least it keeps the darkness at bay." He gave a small smile and left to take care of this big mission. I was a little worried that he'd get hurt, but it was Riku. That guy knew how to get out of tight situations. But, would he resort to using the darkness in him to do it? I didn't want to have to dive into any dark abysses to drag him back.

_Get back here safely_. Quietly, I wished him the best. Soon after he left Twilight Town did I begin with my own mission of watching over the town. On occasion, I'd pay a visit to the basement to see what all there was to do for Sora. We were getting closer to waking him up, with the countdown drawing to a close.


	9. Sora

_Roxas let out a deep sigh of relief when he made it out of the castle, the base made for Organization XIII's secretive works. Not much of a fight was put up, save for the consistent threat of Dusks chasing after him. It didn't let up until he made it to the Dark City, where all was relatively calm. Surely, they lost his trail._

_When it was safe, he dismissed the Kingdom Key and walked with long strides. He refused to stop for Axel, who stood by with his head down and eyes focused on the ground. But when the man spoke up, Roxas slowed to a stop and listened. It was the least he could do for an old friend._

_"Your mind's made up?" Axel questioned the boy gently._

_Roxas balled up his hands and looked up at the enlarged moon with many questions on his mind. "Why did the Keyblade choose me? I have to know."_

_"You can't turn on the Organization!" the redhead spat, determined to sway his pal back the other way. "You get on their bad side, and they'll destroy you!"_

_"No one would miss me," Roxas said coldly, peering over his shoulder, and he walked away without another word. His mind was made up._

_Brought to silence, Axel dropped his shoulders and gritted his teeth. A strange sensation bubbled in the pit of his stomach. It was one that he could not explain clearly, not even to himself. But there was one thing he could say, though it would reach deaf ears. Roxas would still leave._

_"That's not true..." he frowned. "I would."_

_An hour passed since his "talk" with Axel. It was clear to Roxas that he was walking a lonely road now. The rain was pelting down on his head and shoulders, though he was unfazed. Not wanting to get too soaked, he donned the hood of his cloak and wandered the streets with a purpose. He stopped only once to scout out how many Neoshadows there were following him. Turning back around, he saw more standing in his way._

_Hundreds of them were everywhere, flooding the dimly lit streets below Memory's Skyscraper. Regardless of how many, Roxas readied himself for the worst and summoned the Keyblade to aid him. However, it was not just one that he wielded. Two Keyblades to fight off the threat of Heartless. All while another cloaked figure watched on from up above. It wasn't long before they ended up back to back, dispersing all of the Neoshadows with combined power._

_"Who are you?" Roxas finally broke the silence between them, having just one of the Keyblades in his possession now. The other he faced was a silver-haired man wearing a blindfold- Riku. Of course, their initial meeting was not one for introductions._

_"What does it matter?" Riku replied coldly. "I'm here for you..."_

* * *

It was quiet around the mansion. With Riku being gone for so long, and the others being too busy to talk, I had a hard time killing off the boredom. As hard to believe as it was, things around town were settling down. The Nobodies were hardly showing their faces around at all, and the Heartless haven't been causing any frequent problems. Only twice within the last few days have I had to go out and deal with pest control.

Something was going on. What could explain this surprisingly strange phenomenon of the darkness going away so suddenly?

"I wonder what's going on," I said quietly. Outside the mansion, I strolled out to the path leading into the woods with DiZ. He closed the gates behind us and sealed the mansion with an impenetrable barrier. "Do you think it has something to do with the Organization?"

"There is hardly a doubt," he responded. "Perhaps it would be a good idea to pay our friend a visit."

"Huh?"

I tilted my head to the side in confusion and stared at DiZ for a moment. Apparently he had a lot of friends and in places that were unknown to me. He could have meant the king for all I knew, since they had some history together. I had yet to hear that story, but it was an idea.

"Open a way to the Nobodies' world." DiZ's words were a stunning surprise. If his gut instinct was right, and if my thoughts were right, then we were going to see Riku with Roxas. "It is a matter of utmost importance. Be quick about it."

Not hesitating to open the corridor, I brought forth the route we needed to get to the World That Never Was. I knew that it would take us right where we needed to be, because Riku's _scent_ flowed out from it- the peculiar mix of darkness and light that he radiated. And there he was on the other side. Roxas was there with him, but not in the best of shape. My eyes were wide when I saw the boy lying on the ground with Riku standing over him, and his back was to us.

DiZ was silently examining the scene, but Riku didn't bother to turn around or let down his hood. That was when I found a black piece of fabric under my foot. It got drenched in a shallow puddle left by rainfall. Picking it up into my hands, I realized what must have happened. It became clear when Riku opened his mouth to speak.

"DiZ... he could feel Sora." Riku's voice faintly trembled. It didn't sound like him at all, save for the manner of speech. I heard _that person's_ voice instead. Hearing him made me quiver. My fingers wrapped around the blindfold as I stood off to the side.

"Oh, he told you how he _felt_, did he?" DiZ scoffed. "Ridiculous. A Nobody cannot feel anything."

I shook my head and knelt down beside Roxas's unconscious form. "No... If he were able to meet Sora, face to face, all of this might have turned out differently."

"You feel compassion for the boy?" he grumbled. I narrowed my eyes and refrained from looking back at DiZ. Right now, all I wanted to focus on was Roxas. It might have been compassion. Whatever it was, I wanted to make sure my friend was taken care of.

_Roxas... you've been through so much_, I told him in my thoughts. _I promise. Things will be a lot better after we wake Sora up._


	10. Epilogue

The computer monitors in DiZ's basement lab were all bouncing information at us as we observed the digital situation with Sora. His vitals were all stable, and everything else seemed to be doing really well, too. It was hard to say when he would awaken, but DiZ was betting on a month. I was hoping it would be sooner, but a month was better than another year. We'd be growing gray hairs if it took any longer...

"Is this really going to be alright?" Riku asked, leaning back against the wall with his feet crossed. Since his acceptance of the darkness, he seemed to keep his hood up all the time now. I was curious if it was because I'd see, but I already knew. It didn't matter if he looked like Ansem. He was still Riku. Strong and a little snobbish. Still my best friend. "That _world_ isn't complete yet."

DiZ chuckled and licked his bar of ice cream. "Good work for a beginner. As Roxas grows within the data of Twilight Town, I will work out the kinks."

"I-I tried..." I groaned. "So I forgot a few things here and there, but he could have fixed that!"

"Nonetheless, we were able to finish the necessary parts of the program," DiZ nodded to the monitor with Sora's information on it. On the bottom of the screen was a white bar and a percentage. "The days will be long, and we must keep an eye out for the Organization. I hope the two of you will continue to do your best."

"No need to ask if we will," Riku said plainly. He and I looked to one another, nodding in agreement. "It is for our friend, after all."

I nodded in agreement and folded my arms. Glancing over to the entrance to the deeper parts of the lab, I confidently grinned under my hood. It was going to be a long wait but so worth the trouble. Sora was going to come back to us. We had the means to make it happen.

"In the meantime, I guess I'd better head out and keep an eye on the Organization," I said, putting my hands on my hips. "Who knows when they'll try and take Roxas back?"

"Ah, wait just a moment, Kara!" DiZ called out to me. He rose from his chair and approached me. I stood with my back to the door and eyes looking up at the tall man. There was something about the way he looked at me that made me worry, and it didn't seem like it was just my imagination. "Riku will focus on defending our position from the outside."

_From the outside? What does that mean?_ I wondered.

"What?" Riku blurted. He dropped his arms to his sides and took a step away from where he was relaxing. "You mean you're going through with it? It's dangerous. The data is not complete. Something could go wrong."

"We cannot risk those shrewd Nobodies sneaking inside and sabotaging this work," DiZ argued back. "If we are to ensure that Roxas remains where he is, then let us act. It will not fail."

"Is there a reason why I don't know what you guys are talking about?" I stared at Riku and DiZ with a suspicious eye.

They were definitely up to something, but I didn't find out until DiZ led me into the chamber holding Donald and Goofy's pods. A code was punched into the empty pod standing next to theirs, and DiZ gestured to it with a nod of his head. No need to ask him what he meant. I knew that he was telling me to step inside.

The question was why he wanted me to go in it. My memories were doing just fine. There was no need for Namine to dig into them and pull things out of place.

"It is as you said," he told me. "We do not know when the Organization will try and take Roxas back. Perhaps they will try and go inside the program."

"Are you saying... you want me to go inside it to beat them?" I asked.

"Should the occasion ever arise," DiZ explained. "This will allow you to stay close to Roxas and Sora, both. Connect your heart with them and work from the inside-"

"To speed up the process," I cut in.

Smirking, DiZ tucked his arms behind his back and stepped out of my way. "Potentially. It will still take time."

I nodded and stepped inside the pod. It was a cozy space, but still a little cramped. Riku arrived before the entry of the pod was closed tight. It was going to be a while before we saw each other in the real world again. He was going to be protecting me from the outside. That was all the comfort I needed.

"It is a daunting task, yes," DiZ said, pressing a few buttons. I gulped and watched the pod door closing slowly. A heavy vapor poured down, making me feel drowsy. I breathed out slowly and tried to listen to his words as closely as I could manage. "Only the necessary memories will be left in tact. The rest will be held back in order for you to connect with Sora's memories. We do not want to break your mind. Remember... you are to free Sora."

Shifting my sleepy eyes between him and Riku, I nodded slowly and inhaled deeply. The pod was closed now. Riku's voice sounded muffled. It was hard to make out what he was saying, yet I still felt comfort. I knew what he was telling me but in my heart. He will be there to watch over me.


End file.
